Care for aging cat?

Question

My cat is 15 1/2 years old, and has developed glaucoma within the last year. Though he is relatively healthy, he is underweight, and he continually bumps into things. He is also extremely fussy about his water, and often knocks over his dish even after it has just been filled.

I would like to know what methods have worked for other cat owners when taking care of their aging or blind cats. Thanks!

Answer 1

I would certainly talk to a vet about the blindness. There are some vet specialists, and perhaps there is one that might treat glaucoma. Also, if the cat is losing weight, it could be due to a number of things. Some lab work at your vet might be in order. One of my cats has lost weight, and she has been diagnosed with kidney disease through lab work. There are special diets for this, and some cats will take to it, while others will not. The vet often has kidney diet food they can order for you, should that be the case. My cat also has some vision trouble, in that she cannot gauge height well enough to jump on the bed anymore, so I had to get her a step-stool, so that she can climb up on the bed anytime she wants. As far as the water dish being knocked over, perhaps a pet store would have a heavier one, or one that is set in a "frame" and on legs (I've seen these on DrsFoster and Smith website). Also, perhaps a smaller dog dish that is heavier might work. Good luck.

Answer 2

Gato was almost 19 when he was hit by a car. Although he was mostly an outside cat, he stayed in the garage quite a bit of the time. Goldy was about 16 when we had to put him down because of a broken hip (neighbors dog came into our yard, not a happy memory). Gato appeared to lose a lot of weight when he was about 16, and all we really needed to do was change his food. What we did was mix a can of tuna with a can of store brand wet cat food (there were two elderly cats, so it really wasn't as much as it sounds), and that seemed to take care of the problem. We didn't give them tuna every day, but about twice a week. They thought it was a nice treat, we found it was keeping their weights normal (more Gato than Goldy, Goldy was always a fairly chunky cat). When it came to a water bowl, because there was more than one cat we put out an old glass 13 x 11 inch baking pan filled to the top with water, Gato bumped into things (Goldy never had the problem with his eyes), but because the water dish was so big it kept him from knocking it over (and it was fairly heavy, too). I don't know if that's something you can do, because it sounds like you have a house cat, but putting out a heavy baking dish instead of a water bowl might keep down the fussiness about the water.

I will say about the water, my mom recently took in (the original owner passed away) a 12 year old tabby who refuses to drink tap water. She can smell the difference or something, but she refuses to drink anything but bottled water. She will turn her nose up to tap water and cry and whine until someone gives her bottled water. Thought that might be an interesting tidbit for you.

Answer 3

I had a cat that was 14 1/2 when she died last June; she was borderline diabetic and had trouble chewing because she had lost some teeth.

You might want to have his blood sugar tested; we found out about Inky's diabetes because she lost what looked like a ton of weight, even though it was only two pounds. I'm not sure about the blindness, other than to say just make sure he doesn't bump into anything that can hurt him.

P.S. I fed Inky Iams cat food for seniors because it was formulated especially for older cats (their carb intake is different than younger cats). My 9 year old cat loves it; 6 months after she started eating it, I saw a big difference in her fur, and her breath didn't stink.